It's Random Acts of Kindness week! | Community Spirit

When's the last time someone surprised you by doing something nice, for no other reason than to make you smile? It might happen a little more often than usual during the next few days since it's Random Acts of Kindness week from Feb. 13-19.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has plenty of ideas and resources on their website, www.randomactsofkindness.org, of ways to do something kind for anyone and everyone, including co-workers, classmates, strangers, people in need, kids, family and friends.

Their site offers several simple suggestions, from saying "good morning" and holding open the door to options that take a little more time and forethought, such as donating a care package to a homeless shelter. Monday's suggestion of a random act of kindness is to smile at five people and see how it can brighten up someone's day, including your own.

As part of the week long focus on kindness, the winner of the RAK Extreme Kindness Challenge is featured in a video on the RAK website. This year's kindness champion is a young woman named Madison Steiner and her non-profit organization "Peach's Neat Feet." She and a few other guest artists donate their time and creativity to decorate canvas shoes for kids with cancer and other long-term illnesses.  [Watch a video profiling Peach's Neat Feet here.]

 The RAK Foundation also has a significant Facebook presence, with nearly 50,000 people liking their page, following their updates and sharing their own stories of either giving or receiving a random act of kindness. You can find them on Facebook by searching "Random Acts of Kindness Foundation" or follow them on Twitter @RAKFoundation

If you or someone you know does a random act of kindness this week, tell us about it on our Facebook page or send an email to newstip@wbrc.com!